Machine for clearing land



March 31. 1925.,

- 15 55 w. P; JAMES v MACHINE FOR CLEARING LAND ,2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -F'li1ed March 22. 1924 nv VE/VTOI? W Jamea ATTOHNL-KS fig.- 2

March 31. 1925. 1,531,656

. w. P. JAMES MACHINE FOR CLEARING LAND Filed March 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOF) I p Jamel ATTo/ ge w Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM P. JAMES, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

MACHINE IE'O'R CLEARING LAN Application filed March 22, 1924; Serial No. 701,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. learns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Clearing Land; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machines for clearing land, and particularly to a machine for pulling stumps and piling logs and stumps on new ground.

The objects of the invention are to provide a complete combination of machinery whereby stumps may be pulled up by their roots, and piled for burning, and fallen logs and timber may be also piled with the stumps for burning, and large rocks may be lifted from the ground and loaded for transportation, and the machine may be moved by its own power from place to place for operation.

Another object is to provide a lifting arch mounted upon trucks at each end, with a hoisting drum at the center of the arch operated from the front truck, and carrying a hoisting cable suspended from the drum, the front end of the arch member afiixed to front truck with a hinge, and the rear of the arch supported on'a truck carrying means for elevating the rear end of the arch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine consisting of a lifting arch,

and a lifting boom or arm above the arch, both mounted on a movable truck, the arm connected with the front truck by a hinge joint at its base, and the extended end of the arm supported by cables threaded through sheave wheels near the outer end of the arm, the cables attached to winding drums operated on the front truck, the arm carrying a hoisting cable attached at one end to a winding drum on the front truck and the other end extending out and over a sheave'wheel at the outer end of the arm and extending downward therefrom for attachment to stumps or parts thereof after being pulled and to other matter for lifting and loading.

A further object is to provide a machine mounted on self propelling trucks, with a lifting arch for raising and pulling stumps and heavy objects by hydraulic power or system of gear wheels, with a lifting arm for piling or loadingthe stumps and other objects at points higher than the arch, the

Fig. 4, is an alternate means for elevating the arch member.

Like numerals on the different figures represent like parts.

1 is the lifting arch of substantial con-f" struction, with the central part of-sufiicient height to pass over tops of stumps of considerable height. -I' preferably construct it from a plurality of "steel stringers 55 or. beams suitably connected with braces 56 or lattice work.

Additional strength may be secured by providing adjustable tie rods 57 across the space between the sides of the arch member. The front of the arch is supported on a truck body 2 on four wheels 3,

two at each side and mounted within a moying track belt 4' commonly known as a caterpillar construction, the wheels being driven and guided by common and wellknown means not necessary to be specifically shown.

rality of wheels 6, preferably three in numher, as this'truck is drawn by means of the connecting arch with the front truck, the latter driven by power from a steam boiler 19 and ordinary motive machinery'for truck The-rear end of the arch is sup-' ported on an auxiliary truck 5, with a pluand traction engines. The rear truck is supported on heavy springs 7 which normally hold the truck body 5 free from the ground, but when the arch is drawn down by strain in lifting objects, the springs compress and allow the body to reach the ground for solid support.

The rear endof the arch is formed with a yoke 9 which is hinged to a sliding cylinder 10 mounted over a piston member 11. attached to the body 5, and between the top of the piston and cap of the cylinder is normally a small space 12, into which oil or other fluid may be forced from a tube 13 connected with a force pump 14: mounted on the arch member, operated by a belt 15 driven by a small engine 17 also mounted on the arch member, operated by steam carried thereto by a pipe 18 controlled at its source on the front truck from the steam boiler 19. A storage tank 20 mounted on the arch also carries the oil which is forced into the chamber 12 when the valve 21 is opened, but when this valve is closed and the return valve 22 is opened the oil escapes from the chamber 12 through tube pipe 23 into the tank 20, as the arch declines. A winding drum 24 with side guide flanges 25 is mounted at the peak of the arch, with a cable 26 connected with the drum at one end and the other suspended for attachment about a stump 27 or other heavy object that is intended to be raised. In logged off land in the Northwestern States many stumps from two to ten feet in diameter are left standing tento fifteen feet high, and this arch is carried centrally over the stumps, or parts thereof after blasting, to be pulled, by the front truck being driven along side and past the stump, and then the front truck turned to one side and moved till the drum 24 is over the center of the stumpor other position desired, when the cable 26 is properly afliXed to the stump, and the cable 26 then tightened, and at that point the fluid is forced into the chamber 12 and the cylinder 10 and rear end of the arch 1 elevated and thereby the stump is pulled from the ground. I i i After the stumps have been pulled they and other smaller stumps or logs may be lifted and piled for burning or loaded for transportation by the lifting arm or boom 28, whichis pivotally'connected as at 29 to the turntable 35 which is mounted on wheels 36 on the truck body 2. The outer end of arm 28 is raised and supported by a cable 30, the two ends thereof attached to a winding drum 31 on the frame of the table 35, and the outer parts of the cable are looped over sheave wheels 32 and back over sheave 33 affixed to frame 34; on table 35 as illustrated in Figure 3, thus giving much lifting power whereby the arm may be used for lifting heavy burdens, by means of a cable drum 58 to which is attached lifting cable 37, passing thence down with connecting hook 39, which may be quickly attached to stumps, logs, and other objects to be raised for piling or loading. The turntable and winding drums 31 and 58 are operated preferably by steam power in the usual manner of steam shovels and other similar machines for lifting and mov ing objects from place to place. t

In operating the arm 28 for lifting, the cable 26 may be attached to a stump or other fixed object and pulled tight till the truck '2 is bound rigidly to the earth, and this provides a firm base for the turntable 35 and movable arm 28, which may then be extended to considerable distances for ioisting all around the the truck 2.

It is not deemed necessary to show details of the arious connecting means for operating the n'iacliinery, but the engine 17 may be operated by steam through pipe 17' from boiler 19, and the power shaft 16 may be driven by a piston and crank from the engine 17, clutches as so and 11 may be alternately used for driving the gears 24 and 2 1 for hoisting drum 24 or for the pump pulley 16. These clutches may be operated by suitable means (not shown) from the table 35.

33 represent guide pulleys for the cable 30, fixed to frame 3 1.

In order to permit the piston 11 to lean toward the arch 1 as it is raised, the base of the piston is formed with a rounded foot i2 resting in a corresponding socket 4:3 in which it is pivoted at 60.

Figured illustrates an alternate mechanisin for elevating the arch, by a screw 14 mounted in a horizontal gear with worm teeth about its periphery meshing in a Worm 46 on shaft 1'? turned by large gear 18 driven by small gear 19 operated by drive pulley 50 connected to any suitable power.

The screw 14: meshes in a threaded nut 51 slidably mounted'in a groove 52 in the end of the arch 1, the perpendicular passageway through 1 for 44: being suitably elongated to permit the arch to be raised.

.Vhat I claim is: I 1. In a machine for pulling and moving stumps, a central arch member, movable trucks, a hoisting drum mounted on the der and the other end of the arch member,

means for forcing fluid into the cylinder for operating the piston, means for 0011- trolling theflow of fluid into and out of the cylinder, a lifting arm pivotally attached to the'lirst mentioned truck,'means for raising and lowering the arm and for moving the am laterally, a hoisting cable carried over the outer end of the arm, and means for operating the hoisting cable.

2. In combination, two trucks, an arch member pivotally connected to one of the trucks by one end and supported at the other end by the other truck, means for elevating the latter end of the arch member, a winding drum near the highest point of the arch with a hoisting cable attached thereto means for operating the winding drum, a turntable mounted upon the first mentioned truck, a hoisting arm pivotally attached to the turntable, and means for raising and lowering the hoisting arm and for moving the turntable in a circular manner.

3. In a machine for clearing land, the combination of tWo trucks, one of said trucks having a spring supported body normally elevated above the ground but adapted upon compression of the spring support to seat on the ground, an arm and a derrick each pivotally supported by one end to one 10 truck, the other end of the'arm carried by the spring supported body of the other truck and a Windlass mounted medially of the arm.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM P. JAMES. 

